


After Thousands of Years, What a Face to Wake Up To

by Geonn



Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blood Drinking, Bloodplay, F/F, Vampire Sex, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-23
Updated: 2011-05-23
Packaged: 2017-10-19 17:51:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/203563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geonn/pseuds/Geonn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Afina is forced to make a deal with the Sanctuary, but it might not be all bad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	After Thousands of Years, What a Face to Wake Up To

She didn't need to sleep, but it was easier to silence the voices when she did. Sometimes when she woke, she was able to forget everything, if just for a moment. But then she tried to move her arms and discovered she was shackled. It would all come rushing back to her in a flash. She had dealt with the mongrel schoolboy and taken Helen Magnus as her captive. The first new member of her court. They would rule the world together. Everything fell apart when Afina tried to awaken her court only to discover...

Helen's words were hardly comforting, her explanation that there must have been an earthquake or a rockslide. All Afina could see was a sea of stone, the cracked and shattered tombs of her court laid bare. There were skeletons, bodies aged horribly by lack of sustenance. Those who hadn't died immediately had been trapped inside the cave, forced to feed upon each other until the last one starved to death.

In her mourning, she let down her guard. Helen, as powerful and wily as she was intelligent, had taken advantage of her distraction. The pain came first, and then the realization that she had been impaled. The blood dripped down her corset as she turned to face Helen. There was actual regret in Helen's face, sadness at what she was being forced to do. She said, "I am so sorry," and then hit Afina with a second piece of pipe.

When she woke again, she was no longer underground. How they'd managed to get out of her trap, she had no idea. Apparently she had underestimated both Helen and Nikola. She wouldn't do that again. They transported her home heavily sedated. She could barely lift her head, let alone instigate an attack on either of them. She grew weaker with each passing moment, whereas Nikola had apparently feasted on the animal plasma concoction he had mentioned. Terrible as it must taste, it had made him far too indomitable for her to fight. She was their prisoner.

Helen called the place they came to next a "Sanctuary." Afina was drugged into unconsciousness and woke inside of a room made of crystal clear glass. She was restrained, strapped to an unusual type of chair. She was weak, near catatonic from hunger, but there was something stabbing her arm at the elbow. She could hear voices nearby, through the door. Men, a woman, and Helen.

"I'm just saying that having a second vampire around isn't exactly my idea of safety."

"Yeah, pretty soon they'll outnumber us regular folk. No offense, Henry."

"Why... would I take offense--"

"I'm not saying it will be safe, but we've held dangerous Abnormals before. Most of our guests are here because they have nowhere else to go. Afina would _find_ someplace else to go and she would begin rebuilding her court at the first opportunity. The Sanctuary, as unfortunate as it may be, must act as a prison on certain rare occasions. I will not simply slaughter the last survivor of a species simply because she may be dangerous."

Afterward, she slept some more. When she woke, the schoolboy and Magnus were both in her enclosure. She sneered at them, still too weak to do anything but level empty threats. "You can't hold me forever. One day I'll be free again--"

Nikola waved his hand. "Yes, yes, and the rivers of Earth shall run red with blood. She's heard this shtick before. From me. It didn't work then and it certainly won't work now."

Afina curled her lip at him and then looked at Helen. Her hair was down, and she had changed into a light blue turtleneck. Afina smiled and wondered if covering her throat had been instinctive or something she'd done on purpose. "Does he have to be here? I would much rather spend my time with you."

Helen shrugged. "It's his toy. I figured he should be the one to demonstrate it."

Afina looked at the device in Nikola's hand. "And what is that?"

"I call it a de-vamper." He cut his eyes toward Helen. "The name is still a work in progress. But suffice to say it could inject some very unwanted normalcy into your life. You asked how we set off your security if we both had vampire blood. We were wearing vampire shields to disguise our blood from what we thought were Praxian sensors. I was a little too slow in getting mine off. Because at the time, I was as mortal as Helen."

Afina frowned. "Impossible."

"The reason she cracked your crystalline crib is because she needed your blood to save my life. She made me a vampire again. Because this, my brilliant invention, was used against me by a... swarthy little brat." His lip curled in distaste that quickly passed. "But the pertinent thing is that with just a little push, I can make you mortal. I can wipe away all that power without breaking a sweat."

Afina looked toward Helen, choosing to appear bored to hide her fear. "You wouldn't dare."

"You may have been a queen once." Helen stepped closer. "Now you're little more than a refugee. The age of humans allowing themselves to be enslaved to a higher being is over. You'll find nothing but destruction if you even attempted it."

Nikola scoffed. "Forget humans. I've been trying to take over the world for one hundred years, but one thing always gets in my way. And right now, you're looking at her."

Helen smiled. "Or there's the alternative."

Afina didn't say anything, but she listened. Later, when Nikola left, Helen returned. She had changed into a white collared-shirt with a strap of cloth tied around her neck and knotted at the throat. It looked like a uniform of some sort, but it didn't make sense. Why would anyone don a uniform that required them to wear a noose? It dawned on her: the noose was a symbol of freedom, of fearlessness. Helen had walked into the cage with her throat constricted as an example of her confidence. Afina respected her for that.

"We're not in the business of indentured servitude. If you decide to help us, it will be a mutually beneficial partnership." She rolled up the sleeve of her blouse and bared her forearm. With a small scalpel, she nicked the flesh of her inner wrist. The only sound she made was a quiet hiss, then she made a fist and squeezed out a bead of bright red blood. Afina's mouth watered at the sight.

"If you use your teeth, I will kill you. Is that understood?"

"Yes." Afina heard the subservience in her voice, but she didn't care. Helen stepped onto the platform that held the chair and presented her wrist to Afina. Afina leaned in and pressed her lips to the wound. It was a struggle to stop from extending her fangs, from ripping Helen's veins open and drinking her fill. The trickle was barely enough to wet her tongue, but it would suffice. Her scalp tingled, her entire body feeling like it was being woken again.

And then, Helen withdrew. She pressed a pad to her wrist and Afina watched with longing as blood darkened the cloth.

"A mutually beneficial relationship," Helen repeated. She bandaged her wrist before she left the cage, not bothering to look back as she left Afina in the darkness.

A week passed before Helen returned. This time, Afina drank from the other wrist. She could taste the endorphins flowing from the wound the more she fed, she could feel the arousal from Helen. For centuries, humans had allowed themselves to be fed upon just to experience this ecstasy. When she pulled back, she looked up and saw that Helen's eyes were closed blissfully, her lips slightly parted.

Afina knew that this was her opening. Her chance to turn the tide, to make Helen her thrall and begin the slow process of taking over the world. Instead, she leaned back against her chair and Helen shook off her exhilaration. Afina smiled at her, and Helen tended to her new wound. The bandage was gone from the other wrist; the injuries sustained by a feeding vampire tended to close and heal rather quickly.

"I'll see you next Saturday," Helen said.

This time when she left, she looked back at Afina through the glass, and she smiled. Afina bowed her head and slept so that the blood would have time to spread through her body.

Helen returned before Saturday, trailed by two people Afina had never seen before. A young European man with bizarre hair and an Arabic-looking female. Both were armed with strange weapons much like the kind Helen and Nikola had brought to the tomb. They all looked harried, and Helen's blouse was torn at the shoulder.

"There's a situation which could require your unique abilities. Will you help us?"

"Yes."

Helen released Afina's restraints while the others kept her under guard. They looked distracted, as if whatever "situation" required her help was indeed dire. "Come with us. I'll explain on the way."

Afina followed Helen upstairs. A powerful Abnormal had escaped from the Special Housing Unit and was wreaking havoc on the laboratory. It had sealed the entrances and had taken several of the Sanctuary's Abnormal guests hostage. The barricade was made of some odd metal, and Afina ran her hands over it as she examined the way it was set into the wall. "Which Abnormal is the threat?"

The tan-skinned girl spoke: "The big one with the bright orange hair. The others are our friends."

Afina rolled her shoulders and exposed her fangs. She felt her skin go deathly pale as she assumed her vampire visage, the claws extending from her fingers. She grabbed the door and shoved it to one side, hearing mechanisms tear and rend as they were twisted out of shape. She had opened a gap just wide enough for her to fit through, and she stepped inside without hesitation.

Creatures were scattered on the ground unconscious. She could smell their blood in the air. The Abnormal that had attacked them was in the center of the room, bellowing at being trapped. It was roughly the size of a human being, with a bit more muscle in the upper body. It spun at the sound of the door opening and Afina bared her teeth at it. The creature responded with a howl of anger and stampeded in her direction. She heard movement behind her but she didn't turn to look.

Helen shouted, "Corral it to the center!" Multiple weapon blasts filled the air to either side, narrowly avoiding the creature's sides. Their fire forced the creature to stay in a narrow lane, and Afina pounced when he was still ten feet away. She wrapped her arms around its throat and twisted her body to let gravity take her weight. Her arms tightened around the beast's throat as she fell, and she forced it off its feet.

With the creature lying on its side, Afina rolled so that she was astride its muscular flank. She brought up one clawed hand and prepared to drop a death blow.

"We need it alive!" Helen shouted.

Afina hesitated, then retracted her claws and settled for punching it in the head. The Abnormal's head cracked against the floor, and its limbs went limp.

Helen and her cohorts approached, their weapons steady on the creature's body. Helen allowed a small smile. "Well done, Afina."

Afina struggled to catch her breath. It wasn't weakness or exhaustion, not entirely. The queen had hardly ever been sent into danger, had never really been exposed to the thrill of battle. This brief scuffle had awakened a need in her. She licked her lips, running her tongue over her still exposed fangs. She rose from the Abnormal's body and let Helen's minions take it away. Helen stepped closer, well in the danger area had Afina wanted to harm her.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes. I would like to do more of that."

Helen smiled. "Fortunately we only have the one rampaging Abnormal to deal with at the moment. But should the need arise again, I'll keep you in mind." She paused. "How do you feel? It's been a while since you exerted yourself. Do you need to feed?"

Afina's eyes darkened. "Yes." And then, surprising herself as much as Helen, she added, "Please."

Helen stared at her for a moment and then smiled. She led Afina away, someplace private. They were in a small, dark room. Helen wore a dress with an opening over the chest, just enough to hint at her cleavage without sacrificing class. A strap ran across her throat and she unfastened it. She pressed herself against the wall, brushing her hair out of the way. Afina stared at the expanse of Helen's throat and she could smell, could see, the pulse of blood through her veins. The pounding of her heart from the fight they had just won and the fear of exposing herself to a vampire in this way.

"Your throat?" Afina was hesitant. What if this was a trick to see if she would cross the line, to test her obedience? Could she risk that?

"You've earned it." Helen's voice was quiet. "Drink what you need, not what you want."

Afina realized _that_ was the test. She licked her lips and stepped closer, pinning Helen's body to the wall with her own. She gripped Helen's upper arms with both hands, squeezing until Helen whimpered quietly. Too quietly for a mortal to hear, but Afina couldn't miss it. Afina took a deep breath and, when she let it out, she noticed it was trembling. The fight had been all too brief. She imagined more, much more Abnormals to fight. To capture. And this woman would be the one giving her that opportunity. She could fight, and she would win. No one would raise their armies against her. She could simply enjoy the thrill of the fight without worrying about an uprising or being overthrown by her own minions.

She licked Helen's neck. Slow strokes with her tongue, pressing the flat of it against Helen's veins to feel the warm pulse. Helen tasted exquisite. A mouthful of Helen's blood could bring her to orgasm, almost had on the first occasion. It had been so long, far too long, since she had blood this sweet and pure. And Helen was offering it to her.

The fight, and the sweet ambrosia as reward. To rule was one thing, but to enjoy herself? When was the last time she had truly enjoyed anything?

She used her fang to nick Helen's flesh, cutting her wide before fastening her lips over the crescent-shaped wound. Helen brought her hands up, cupping Afina's elbows. Afina tightened her grip on Helen's forearms as the blood flowed into her mouth. She let it sit in her mouth, absorbing into her cheeks and tongue before she swallowed. She moaned and pressed her hips against Helen's, grinding against her. Her nipples became erect under the blue top they had given her. Her clit grew engorged as Helen's blood filled her, made her more vibrant and alive.

Afina remembered the others. If they discovered this tableau, they would no doubt end her life without question. And she had already taken far more than she had intended. Probably more than Helen had truly offered. Afina pressed her tongue to Helen's wound and held it there for a moment, letting her saliva do its work before she backed away with a gasp and a moan of regret.

Blood smeared Helen's throat, some of it staining the shoulder of her dress. Helen was panting, one hand moving to cup between her legs before she moved it away. She looked at Afina and then touched her neck to make sure the wound had successfully closed. The scar would be gone by midday.

"Thank you," Afina said.

Helen dipped her chin and held out her hand. Afina helped her stand, supporting her weight until she was able to walk on her own. A queen would rule, but faced danger from every quarter. She would be the target of assassins even from her closest consorts. If she took that path, she would desperately need Helen at her side. But keeping Helen with her as a queen was the same as wrapping a garrote around her own throat and waiting for someone to pull.

Perhaps being a queen wasn't the best option after all.

 _One Year Later,_  
Helen looked up as Afina entered the office. She had taken to wearing leather pants and a leather jacket, her cleavage revealed by her strategically unbuttoned black blouse. She'd also started curling her hair, and Helen had to admit she quite liked the change. She put aside her report and folded her hands together. "Welcome back. Much earlier than anticipated."

"Kate is a formidable partner. The catoblepas had me pinned down, and my claws weren't doing anything to penetrate its armored hide. So Kate set off a grenade underneath its backside." She grinned. "The creature was stunned but alive. The only casualties were those biker boots you bought me last year."

Helen sighed. "I loved those boots, but I suppose I can buy you another pair. Kate?"

"She's securing it in the SHU as we speak."

"Well done, Afina."

Afina rounded the desk, her eyes darkening. "Have I earned my reward, mistress?" Her voice had the hollow echo of a vampire, and even after all this time it made Helen's heart race. She assumed that was the entire purpose of the voice and she pushed her chair back from the desk.

"I really should wait to hear Kate's report. Just to make sure you were a good girl the entire time."

Afina put her hands on the back of Helen's chair to support herself. She climbed into the seat, one bent knee on either side of Helen's waist as she settled in her lap. "You don't trust me?"

Helen smiled. "One must maintain certain protocols."

Afina put her hand on Helen's head, tilting it to the side. "Please, Dr. Magnus."

Helen closed her eyes and smiled. She put her hands between them, unfastening Afina's leather pants. "Well. You have been good all week." She pushed her hand inside, and Afina groaned. Helen cupped her, and Afina dragged the tip of her fangs over the sensitive flesh of Helen's throat. Though the wounds always healed, Helen found that the new skin had increased sensitivity to a bite. Just a stray gust of wind against it could make her wet, and Afina's breath turned her knees into jelly.

Afina didn't have to prepare Helen's neck anymore. But she always did. With kisses, and long strokes of her tongue. Suckling and licking, Helen was soon aching for the bite. She had become as addicted as Afina, but she didn't care. She rested her free hand on the curve of Afina's ass and squeezed, using her fingertips to stroke between Afina's legs. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Afina... bite me."

Afina complied, and Helen pushed two fingers inside of her. Afina arched her back, and Helen pressed up against her. Their bodies moved against each other, both of them desperate with need. Helen pressed her thumb against Afina's clit, circling and then pinching it to make Afina moan against her throat. Helen felt a trickle of blood on her collar, marking the material. She had so many blood stains on so many outfits... the Big Guy was going to kill her.

Afina pulled back, her lips red with Helen's blood as she rocked against Helen's hand. She closed her eyes and cried out as she came, dropping her hands to Helen's face to cup her cheeks. Helen smiled up at her, a little pale but otherwise unharmed. It was only slightly worse than a blood donation; she made sure she had a large stock of orange juice and cookies just like the Red Cross stations did.

Afina brushed a thumb over Helen's bottom lip, and Helen kissed it. Afina knew that she could break Helen's neck, could drink her fill of Helen's glorious blood and then go on a rampage through the Sanctuary. Perhaps Zimmerman or Freelander or Foss would take her down before she even reached the gates. Perhaps Nikola would join forces with her only so long as it took to build an army, and then he would turn on her.

But then perhaps one morning she would awaken in her cell again, with Helen standing beside her with a sword. "You've just become too dangerous, Afina. I am truly sorry."

Neither of them would take that step. Neither would make that move. They had grown beyond mutually assured destruction. Afina could no more plot Helen's death than she could take her own life. Her heart, cold and dead for so long, still beat when in Helen's presence. Helen made her feel alive, and for that, Afina would always be in her debt.

"Perhaps we should move this to your bedroom, Helen. Then you could drink from me."

Helen smiled and they rose from her chair. Afina took Helen's hand as they walked out of the office. In stasis for thousands of years, while empires rose and fell and then crumbled to dust. Giving up her life, she thought, in exchange for a kingdom of her own. But that wasn't it. She found her kingdom the moment she woke and found something unexpected right in front of her. Helen Magnus. Not a consort, not a concubine, but a true member of her court. An equal.

Helen was the kingdom she had been waiting for. She wasn't going to sacrifice it for one good drink.


End file.
